Sara Bethany Ham—A New Voice with a Firm Mission BY GREG HANSEN
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A New Voice
Sara Bethany Ham may be one of the first truly new artists to hit the LDS market in years. Youth and parents who have heard her debut album, Wanna Be Brave , seem to bubble up adjectives like a fountain-”youthful, fresh, vibrant, sincere, upbeat, and wholesome — just what we’ve been wishing for.” 
Sara, now 20, has been singing for years, and has always wanted to perform music that would uplift and inspire people. She was featured as a soloist on Jenny Phillips’ theme albums, and toured with Jenny’s group. Sara’s warm, sincere and youthful voice is slightly reminiscent of Christian artist Nicole Nordemann. Memorable tracks include the title cut “Wanna Be Brave,” “Bring On the Rain,” “Awake,” and several new never-before recorded songs by noted LDS songwriters. It breaks the mold on what has gone before, yet is never inappropriate.
A Firm Mission
“I wanted young people to know they can still be cool without lowering their standards,” says Sara, who grew up in California . Her album is positive, motivating, and filled with powerful messages of faith, testimony and courage, with a sound both youth and parents will love. Look for it wherever LDS music is sold, online or in stores, or visit her website, www.SaraBethanyHam.com.
A New Label
Wanna Be Brave represents the first release of the new positive music label, Eagle Springs Records, owned by multi-award winning producer Greg Hansen and Pearl Award-winning engineer Steve Lerud. Eagle Springs produces music that is positive, refreshing, and multi genre-not necessarily tied to any single religion or sound. It is the next step of progression in music that appeals to a broad values-based audience. Its mission is to “create music that is excellent, edifying, and entertaining, leaving the listener better for having heard it.”
More to Come
The next Eagle Springs release, now in production, is a moving, beautifully orchestrated collection of original songs by veteran songwriter Julie Baird, entitled His Tender Care . Julie writes passionately, theatrically and emotionally, and the vocal credits read like a who’s who list of top industry performers-Jenny Jordan Frogley, George Dyer, Barry Hansen, Jeff McLean, Jessie Clark Funk, David Osmond, Daniel Beck, Summer Smart, and Crystal Thibodeau, a new name on the scene from Las Vegas .
Perhaps one of the most powerful songs on His Tender Care is a new version of “The Touch of the Master’s Hand,” done in a completely fresh, original musical setting, that brings a renewed life to the message of the familiar poem. Projected release of the project is February 2008.
Taken together, these albums represent a substantial new direction — a firmly committed move toward a new genre of positive music.
